Well-established power distribution systems exist throughout most of the United States, and other countries, which provide power to customers via power lines. A power line communications system (PLCSs) may use the infrastructure of the existing power distribution systems to provide broadband data communications in addition to power delivery.
In addition to communicating user data, such PLCSs may be used to monitor the EPDN. Some such systems may collect performance data (which may include configuration data) of the EPDN, which may include collecting voltage measurements, current measurements, and configuration measurements such as data indicating whether a switch, cut-out, or recloser is open or closed, whether a capacitor bank is engaged or not, and other such performance data.
Even though a PLCS may be installed on the EPDN, electric utility companies generally do not have the ability to efficiently and easily remotely monitor their power distribution networks. Consequently, there is a need for a system and method to process the data collected by a PLCS and to present performance information to the operator of an EPDN in an efficient, economical, and useful manner. Additionally, it would be desirable to provide a system that provides flexible presentation of the data to the operator, that provides high level and detailed level presentations of the information, that receives a request for and responds with additional information for the operator, and that allows the operator to quickly and easily identify problems and the operational condition of the network. These and other advantages may be provided by various embodiments of the present invention.